


Another life, another love

by liionne



Series: A thousand ways to meet [9]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-30
Updated: 2013-08-30
Packaged: 2017-12-25 03:18:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/947998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liionne/pseuds/liionne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Puri's leaving and Jim's new CMO, some Leonard McCoy, is totally gorgeous and no he really isn't falling for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another life, another love

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a post on tumblr that I've lost the link to (oops). Oh and also, Carol and Jim being BFFs because I love those two.

_"Good luck, kid."_

_"Yeah. You too."_

They parted ways as swiftly as they'd came together - he had to go to New Recruits and he had to go to Medical. Jim didn't consider it a loss; the guy was a grump, absolute screaming genius or not. Keeping him around would only kill his buzz.

He didn't give him much more thought than that.

~*~

Puri's replacement was due on the bridge any moment now. Jim had comm'd medical and asked him to please report to the bridge before they headed off into deep dark space. Chapel had told him that the good doctor wasn't available right now, but she'd pass the message on.

When Jim had found out that Puri was to retire at the end of the Khan-kerfuffle he'd been a little upset. Puri was the best damn doctor in the whole 'Fleet and the entire crew knew it. He might've been professional both during work and outside of it, making it kinda hard to connect with him on a personal level, but still. He'd patched Jim up every single time he'd fell down without complaint, and he'd always welcomed anyone who needed help into the med bay. He was good with his staff; he gave them all a pep talk of a morning, helped them out whenever they needed it. He was good.

Jim was pretty sure he'd never met his replacement. The name seemed somewhat familiar but hell, maybe he was imagining it. Or worse, maybe he'd slept with him. That wouldn't be surprising.

The doors to the bridge whooshed open, and Jim swivelled in his chair to look at the newcomer.

Well, damn.

He was the living embodiment of ' _tall, dark and handsome_ ', and he walked as if he had purpose. He kept his shoulders back, his chin up, and he seemed to look at each member of the bridge crew individually, as if sizing them up for some unknown reason. He stopped just short of the Captain's chair.

"Captain," He said, and that Southern accent sent shivers down Jim's spine. "You wanted to see me?"

"Uh-" Jim took a moment to collcet himself. "Yeah. Just wanted to welcome you to the crew, Bon- Doctor McCoy."

McCoy's lips twitched in a way that suggested he was trying to repress a smile. "Thank you, Captain."

Spock was giving the two of them a funny look. Uhura knew - she never forgot a face. Even if this one had drastically changed. Carol looked from Jim to McCoy, and then back to Jim, and then back at McCoy. She could tell she was in for a very big talk about this guy later on.

"You're welcome to stay on the bridge while we take off, or you can head down to medical-"

"I'll be heading back down to medical." McCoy interrupted, giving a terse nod. "Still haven't found my space legs."

Jim pressed his lips tight together to avoid grinning. "Alright then." He nodded. "Good to see you, McCoy."

"Captain." McCoy nodded, giving a small smirk as he left the bridge.

~*~

"At least the new CMO's pretty." Carol said, as she sat with Jim in Rec Room 6. They'd worked their full shift with no problems, no malfunctions or mistakes, and now they were floating through deep space, no real destination in mind.

Carol sat curled up in her chair, with her hands wrapped around a mug of lemon tea. Jim had already drank four cups of coffee, and Carol had decided that enough was enough: she had asked Gaila to fiddle with the replicator and stop it from recognising Jim's voice. He'd almost kicked the machine in when he couldn't get what he wanted, but Carol decided that it was just more evidence that coffee was really the last thing that Jim Kirk needed.

"He cleans up good." Jim nodded, running a hand through his hair for the fourth time in the last minute. "I wonder if he got remarried. Hell, how did he even make it out the Narada incident- although I guess Gaila did, maybe he got out the same way. He's obviously not an alcoholic anymore and damn he looks hot in-"

"Jim can you slow down please?" Carol asked, raising an eyebrow at him over her drink. "Some of us haven't had enough caffeine to fuel an elephant today. You're going to have to go slower. And what're you talking about anyway? Do you know him?"

"Kinda." Jim shrugged. "We shared a ride out from Iowa together. And some bourbon."

"I see." Carol murmured. "So that's what that whole thing on the bridge was."

"Mm." He nodded. "I never forget a face."

"Liar." She muttered, arching her eyebrows accusingly.

"Fine. Sometimes I forget faces. But not faces as hot as his." He allowed.

Carol smirked and sipped at her tea, and then she stood. "Just don't do something you'll regret, alright? I know you. You'll get him into bed and then you'll pretend like it never happened and he won't be able to ask for a transfer like the others did because we're all stuck here for five years. Don't make this any more awkward than it has to be."

Jim scowled, and then he sighed. "Fine."

"Thank you." She smiled slightly. "And now I'm going for a nap. Disturb me on pain of death."

"Got it." He nodded.

She went to leave, but only got ot the doorway before turning around. "Oh, and Jim?"

He looked up, blinking a little. "Yeah?"

"No more coffee."

They shared a short smirk before she left, leaving Jim to think about the doctor he'd left behind.

~*~

"Uh, Bones?"

Jim looked somewhat sheepish as McCoy looked up at him. He clutched at his arm, which was now totally bare, the heat from engineering having burnt through his gold shirt, his black undershirt, and apparently his first layer of skin. McCoy's eyes widened as he stood, and Jim saw what he assumed to be concern in his eyes.

"Damn it kid, what the hell happened?"

He was dragging him over to a biobed, but Jim went willingly. The pain in his arm was excruiating, and he could feel the heat seeping into his veins. "Bit of an accident down in engineering."

McCoy gave him a withering look before reaching out to take a gentle hold of his arm, being careful not to touch the exposed skin. Jim notices his fingers, long, almost elegant, swiftly moving across his arm to inspect the damage. Jim was a little bit captivated by them.

Until he was jabbed sharply in the neck.

"Christ!" he yelped, staring at McCoy with betrayal in his eyes. "What was that for?"

"Pain relief." McCoy answered. "Don't tell me this isn't hurting you."

"Maybe a little." Jim admitted, almost sheepishly.

"S'what I thought." He nodded.

Jim found it hard to concentrate on what he was saying as he worked, and not just because the feeling of the balm against numb skin was weird. He could see Bones better now, now that he was closer. His eyes, now not bloodshot fro a hangover, where the most beautiful hazel Jim'd ever seen, flecked with green in various tones. He was clean shaven now, only a dark shadow of stubble left behind, and Jim could see just how smooth his skin looked, even if it did crinkle around the edges. He wanted to touch it, run his fingers along his jawline, around his eyes. He clenched his hands into fists to stop himself.

"Stop that." McCoy ordered. "You're flexing the muscle."

With a huff, Jim flattened his palms against his thighs. Maybe that was best anyway.

"There, you're all done." McCoy nodded, taking a step back. Jim wasn't thinking about that. He was staring at McCoy's lips, now not so chapped and somehow fuller.

"What happened to your accent?" He asked abruptly.

McCoy blinked. "What?"

"Don't sound a Southern as you did on the shuttle." Jim explains, looking up to meet his eyes.

"That'd be cause I'm not legless, kid." He muttered, turning away. "Don't take those bandages off, and come back and see me in a few days time. Should be healed by then."

"Got it." Jim nodded, hopping down from the bed. "See you later, Bones."

McCoy gave a sigh that sounded heavy as Jim left, heading back to the bridge.

~*~

Once Jim'd had his bandages taken off, he kept going back to medical for little things. Papercuts, bruises, ankles he said were sprained but actually weren't. Of course, he still got injured a lot, and ended up in med bay for serious issues, but he kept going back just to see McCoy's face. Carol had made McCoy into forbidden fruit but that wasn't why Jim wanted him. Jim wanted him because he was god damn down right beautiful and every time he turned those skilled hands toward him, Jim had to hold back a shiver.

"If you're turning into a hypochondriac, I'm gonna stop treatin' you, Jim." McCoy warned him, a month and a half into their trip. He was scanning Jim with a tricorder, trying to find out what - if anything - was wrong with him.

"I'm not, Bones, this is serious." Jim scowled a little.

He was totally making it up.

"So why can't I find anything wrong with you?" McCoy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe you're equipments malfunctioning. Maybe you should do a manual exam." Jim suggested, wiggling his eyebrows, ever the flirt.

McCoy pressed his palm to Jim's forehead, and Jim's smile faded.

"You haven't got a fever, kid. And you're not clammy either. You're fine." McCoy took a step back.

"Maybe I'm just here for your pretty face." Jim grinned, leaning forward.

McCoy snorted. "I've got patients to see to Jim."

Jim watched him go with pursed lips and frustrated eyes. If only Bones knew it was the truth.

~*~

Somehow, in a space of time where Jim obviously wasn't present because he'd have remebered this if he was, Bones and Carol became good friends.

Jim didn't notice it until they were five months into their five year mission. He went to get his lunch, going to sit with Carol, only to find them sat having lunch together, and McCoy actually cracked a smile. A real one, genuine and bright, laughing at something Carol had said. Jim was usually the only one who could make Bones smile like that, and it never happened often or so easily. Jim scolwed. How dare she.

He took his tray and sat next to Carol, and diagonally from McCoy. "What're we talking about?" He asked, picking at his food.

"Mm, nothing." Carol said, with a shrug of her shoulders. It was too forced.

Jim narrowed his eyes at her. "Liar."

"Fine." She allowed. "Nothing important."

"So tell me." Jim persisted.

McCoy and Carol shared a look. "It's confidential." Carol said. She smirked, and McCoy looked down at his plate to hide a grin.

"Nothing's confidential to me, I'm the Captain." Jim snapped. "So tell me."

"Don't be such an infant." McCoy chuckled.

Jim glared at him. He had to work hard to keep it going though - McCoy looked so good when he smiled. The corners of his eyes creased, and the green in his irises seemed to shine brighter.

Jim realised he was staring - he looked away.

There was a loud beeping sound, and McCoy looked down at his PADD. He sighed. "Emergency. Gotta go." He muttered, pushing his chair out behind him as he left the Mess.

"Carol, what the hell?" Jim scowled, when McCoy was fully out of earshot.

"What?" She demanded. "Am I not allowed to have friends?"

"You're totally seducing my hot new CMO and I'd appreciate it if you didn't." He frowned.

"Why, because you want to?"

"Yes actually I do. Wait, no I-"

"Jim." She said, and the tone of her voice made him shut up. "You could've had him by now. So why haven't you?"

"It's not that." He muttered. He suddenly wasn't so hungry anymore. He pushed his food around his place and scowled into it.

"You don't want to sleep with him?" She raised a doubtful eyebrow.

Jim raised his eyebrows at her. "Of _course_ I do, Carol. What do you take me for?"

Carol chuckled, but Jim kept talking. "It's just... different."

Her eyes narrowed. "Different how?"

"I don't know-" He shook his head, and sighed. "I just- I don't want to just get him into bed, Carol. I want to- I don't know. I want to spend all my time with him, I wanna make him smile, I want to-"

"Oh my God." Carol interrupted, her eyes wide. "Jim, you like him!"

"What?"

"You like him! You've got a crush on him." She grinned.

"No I haven't." He snapped, but he was starting to realise it himself. He did have a crush on McCoy. A really big, really stupid crush on the man that made him see everything he did through rose-tinted glasses. He sighed. "Maybe."

"Aw, Jim." Carol smiled, looking at him like a proud mother.

"Stop that." He snapped.

"Tell him." She urged.

"No!"

"Go on," She grinned. "I bet he feels the same way."

"No he won't." Jim sighed, feeling more like a teenage girl than was good for him.

"How do you know that?" She asked, her voice soft. "He might really like you but he's too grumpy to admit it."

He gave her a despairing look as he stood. He really wasn't hungry anymore. "Maybe." He said again. Carol gave him a soft smile as he left. "But I doubt it."

~*~

Now that Jim had accepted his small crush, he decided not to hate himself too much for it. He kept calling Bones to the bridge when he thought that med bay wasn't too busy, and McCoy started taking a position behind Jim's left shoulder, standing there as if he were magnetically held in place. Jim would look up every so often to grin at him, and McCoy would just roll his eyes. Then Jim'd look back to the stars, snickering, and McCoy would allow himself a small smile when he thought no one was looking.

It was an easy arrangement.

McCoy was there one morning, having just finished the Gamma shift as Alpha shift started. Jim was bright eyed and bushy tailed as he took his place in his chair. He was about to greet him when Sulu beat him to it. "Not going back to your quarters, Bones?"

Jim flinched. Who gave Sulu permission to call him Bones?

"Not tired." McCoy shrugged.

"Damn. Gamma shift always used to kill me." Sulu nodded appreciatively. Jim scowled at him.

"He has unlimited access to Stims, Hikaru." Uhura smirked a little. "Isn't that right, Bones."

Jim spun in his chair to frown at her. Why was she calling him Bones? No one was allowed to call him Bones. Only Jim could call him Bones.

"I doubt he'd take the stims even if he had them, Nyota." Gaila smiled from her station. "Bones is a professional."

Jim growled a little. McCoy just chuckled. How could he be so nonchalant about this? That was _his_ nickname. Jim and _only_ Jim could call him Bones.

He hit breaking point when Chekov scampered onto the bridge, saw the good doctor and smiled. "Doctor Bones!" He chirped, only to have Jim snap at him.

"Right, let's get this straight. No one is to call Doctor McCoy anything other than Doctor McCoy, do you hear me? Calling him 'Bones' is unprofessional and I'm not allowing it." He stared hard at each member of the bridge crew. Chekov quietly took his seat. "Is that understood?"

A quiet chorus of ' _aye captain_ ' and ' _yes sir_ ' followed. McCoy was staring at him, eyes just a little wider out of shock. He raised an eyebrow as he waited for an explanation.

Jim sat back down, throwing himself into the chair. He looked up at McCoy and gave a small smile. "Good to see you, Bones."

~*~

The observation decks were usually pretty quiet. The crew lived among the stars, so why would they want to go and waste their free time watching them? It made no sense.

It was, however, Jim's favourite place to go. He wanted to be surrounded by stars as often as he could. If he wasn't on the bridge, watching them on screen from his chair, he wanted to be watching them from the bottom step leading to the viewing platform of the observation deck. The stars were beautiful. As a child they'd seemed so unreachable, but here? Here they were just there, waiting for him to touch them, just a warp speed away.

McCoy was very much the same as the stars, in the way that he was always there, so dependable, and so beautiful to boot. And he was unreachable, totally unreachable, a star too far away for Jim to reach. It was killing him.

"What was that?" Came a voice from behind him, thick and smooth and undeniable.

Jim looked up, blinking a few times. "Hey Bones."

"Hey." He murmured, folding himself up to sit beside Jim. "I'll repeat, then. What was that on the bridge?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." he muttered, turning his gaze to the stars.

"Sure you don't." Bones raised an eyebrow.

He waited for Jim's explanation, but none came. Jim watched the stars fly past the window until he heard a soft chuckle. He looked over to see Bones laughing, and he narrowed his eyes at him. "It's not funny." he snapped.

"You freaked out, Jim. It was hilarous." Bones snickered.

"It wasn't funny." He repeated.

"C'mon, kid." Bones murmured, after a short silence in which his laughter subsided. "Why'd you snap like that?"

"It's my name, Bones." Jim murmured, staring off into space again. "No one gets to use it."

Bones raised an eyebrow. Jim looked over at him, and sighed. He was about to speak, but Bones beat him to it. "You always that possessive?"

"Over what's mine, sure." Jim murmured.

"Hm." He hummed. Jim watched him think about it for a moment, before he continued. "S'pretty hot."

Jim blinked. And then he blinked again. "What?"

"It's pretty hot." Bones repeated, saying each word slowly.

It took Jim a moment to switch to flirty mode. "I could be possessive of you, if you'd like."

"I think I would." Bones murmured.

That was when Jim shifted, leaning over to plant his hands either side of McCoy's legs. He pressed their lips together, kissing him harder than he'd ever kissed before, and satyed like that for a moment before he allowed his tongue to nosey at the edges of his lips, looking for entrance. McCoy responded enthusiastically, hands reaching up to hold Jim's neck gently, feeling the pulse beneath his skin. His lips parted with a soft breath and he hummed against Jim's skin. Jim scooted closer ever so slightly; he was so caught up in their kissing that he didn't even notice the door open. Apparently Bones didn't either.

Carol left the observation deck with a grin that said ' _I knew it_ '.

Jim was lost in his lips, lost in the smell and the sight and the taste of McCoy, warm against his skin wherever they met. He'd thought about this so much for the last few months, but none of his dreams even came close to this. He was panting for breath when McCoy pulled away ever so slightly, hands still placed gently against his neck.

His lips were red and his eyes seemed almost gold in the starlight. Jim'd do anything he asked him to. "Maybe we should take this back to my quarters?"

He all but dragged him back to his room as if the world were ending.


End file.
